30 Days, Season 2, Episode 5:Abortion

This weeks 30 Days placed pro-choice Jennifer, a 29 year old woman with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology that works in a women’s health clinic, in a Christian, pro-life maternity home named His Nesting Place. During her 30 days there, she is supposed to follow the house rules, work in the pregnancy crisis center and take part in their pro-life activities.

Again, this episode fell on it’s face, but not for the usual lack of time, but more from neither side really being that engaged in the give-and-take of the format. Upon Jennifer’s arrival, she was asked by one of the head workers if she worked in a place that “sells abortions”. Oh yeah, this is going to go well. During the time Jennifer spent at their pro-life activities, she insisted on not standing with them and wearing a pro-choice shirt.

I am all for people standing by their convictions, but the whole point of 30 Days is to learn from each other. This season seems to be suffering from people who are either too attached their beliefs to listen (such as this episode) or they are too willing to give in (the New Age episode). Last season you had true immersions, like the Off-The-Grid episode, but this season it seems to be breaking their own rules left and right. I’m afraid the format of this show may be broken now, and I’m not really sure there’s a way to fix it.